In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided for displaying machine data to enhance the user's ability to analyze the machine data. A three dimensional graph of machine data is displayed and a cursor is also displayed in the graph in the form of one or more planes cutting through the three dimensional machine data. A user provides commands through an input device such as a mouse, button, or touch screen, and the cursor moves to different positions corresponding to the inputs provided by a user. Information corresponding to the machine data at the position of the cursor is displayed on or proximate to the graph so that a user may position the cursor at a point of interest on the machine data and read information corresponding to the machine data at such point of interest.
In accordance with a more particular embodiment, the cursor is one or more semi-transparent planes that are positioned over the machine data to partially obscure a portion of the data. The machine data that is behind the plane(s) is still visible, but it is dimmed out to some extent by the cursor. For example, if the cursor were a semi-transparent gray plane, the machine data in front of the plane would be visible as usual, but the data behind the plane would be grayed out a bit as if the data were in a shadow or were being viewed through gray tinted glass. When more than one plane is displayed, the user may move each independently to indicate locations in different dimensions of the machine data. Alternately, secondary and tertiary dimensions can be indicated by highlighting data sets or by drawing a line or other symbol to indicate selection of points within the data. These alternate indicators can also move independently in their respective data dimensions.
In certain applications, multiple cursors can take the form of multiple planar cursors. For example harmonic cursors include a plurality of parallel semi-transparent plane cursors spaced apart equidistantly along a substantially horizontal axis which represents frequency. Thus each semi-transparent planar cursor would be spaced apart from the other semi-transparent planar cursors by the same distance representing the same frequency. By user inputs the user may change the distance between each planar cursor, or move all of the planar cursors at one time left or right along the horizontal axis holding their respective spacing constant. By providing user input commands, the user may select one or more data points using these cursors, and the data displayed on or proximate to the graph will correspond to the selected data point. The displayed data may also include the distance between each planar cursor, and in the case of the horizontal axis representing frequency, the distance between the planar cursors is a measurement of frequency.
A user may also enter commands to create multiple planar cursors that are not a harmonic cursor and in such case the planar cursors may be positioned independently such that the distances between the cursors are not necessarily the same.
The machine data may be vibration spectra where the horizontal axis represents frequency, a substantially vertical axis represents some type of magnitude (e.g., displacement, velocity, or acceleration) and an axis defining depth (the depth axis) represents time or rotation rate. Along the depth axis different spectra obtained at different times or rotations are displayed.
In one embodiment, the three dimensional graph of data is movably displayed and the user may move the graph in a virtual three-dimensional space. For example the user may move the graph so as to rotate it about a substantially vertical axis and thereby view the graph from an infinite number of horizontal views. The user may also move the graph in a rotational motion around a substantially horizontal axis and an axis representing depth (the depth axis). In this manner a user may view the graph from any angle in virtual three-dimensional space. Also, in one embodiment a user may change the position of a user's virtual viewpoint so as to enable a user to analyze the graph from within the virtual three-dimensional space where the data is displayed. By changing the viewpoint and rotating the graph about three axes as described above, a user may view the graph from any position and orientation.
The above-described movable three-dimensional graph is implemented on a device, such as a computer, capable of three-dimensional graphing. In one embodiment four slide bars are provided on the screen, one for each of the three axes and one for the viewpoint. To change the angle of view in any of the three directions, or to change the viewpoint, a user may use a mouse, keyboard or other input device to move the slide bars and thereby change the orientation angle or viewpoint. In another embodiment, a three-dimensional input device such as a track ball may be used to change the angle of view. The orientation of the graph follows the position of the ball, and the user can move the track ball to any angular position in space. In this embodiment, the track ball is also used to change the viewpoint by clicking one of the track ball buttons, holding the clicked button, and rotating the ball. Other three dimensional input devices could also be used such as a motion sensitive input device that measures angular position in space and translation. In such an embodiment, the angular position in space controls the angular position of the graph, and the translation of the device linearly may control the viewpoint.